BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Birmingham mayoral candidate Adlai Trone was arrested and charged with second degree marijuana possession during a traffic stop in Baldwin County in 2008.

For the misdemeanor conviction, Trone was given probation, community service and ordered to attend AA classes, he said.

"I learned a lot from that experience, being in the wrong place at the wrong time, doing the wrong thing," he said in an interview with AL.com this morning. "It was a lesson learned and I don't plan on being in that situation again."

Trone said he was coming back from the Senior Bowl when he was pulled over during a traffic stop.

He called his brush with law an "important moment" that led to his return to Birmingham and solidified his desire to pursue a career in education. Trone then went to work as a math teacher in Birmingham City Schools.

"With me running for public office, there's nothing to hide. I definitely don't claim to be a saint. You live, you learn. You grow and you go."